Iranian Art and Culture Archives - Iran News Daily

Nasir-ol-Molk Mosque, stunning whirling colors

reporter 1222 — Sun, 14 Jul 2019 12:16:48 +0000

Shiraz is one of the most beautiful cities in south of Iran, where many tourists visit it every year. It is one of the oldest cities of ancient Persia and is known as the city of poets, literature, flowers and gardens. It is one of the main tourism sites in Iran and its cultural heritage is of global importance. Due to many historical, cultural, religious and natural attractions, Shiraz has always attracted many tourists. One of these magnificent places is Nasir-ol-molk Mosque.

Nasir-ol-molk Mosque is one the tourist attractions of Shiraz which was built during the Qajar dynasty at the end of the 19th century. It is one of the most unique and different mosques in Iran. The mosque is famous for its colored glasses and its tiles are unique in their kind.

This mosque is called by many different names. Mostly known as the “Pink Mosque” because its tiles are beautifully decorated with a pre-eminently pinkish rose color, it is also called the “Mosque of colors,” the “Rainbow Mosque” or the “Kaleidoscope Mosque”.

It is located in a region in the southern part of Lotf Ali Khan Zand Street. The mosque was built by order of Mirza Hasan Ali Nasir ol Molk, a Qajar ruler. Mohammad Hasan-e-Memar, an Iranian architect, and Mohammad Reza KashiSaz were two designers of this mosque. The construction of this elegant mosque was finished after 12 years.

It is 2890 square meters and considered as one of the most valuable mosques in Iran in terms of construction, especially tiling and muqarnas (a form of ornamented vaulting in Islamic architecture). It has two shabestan (an underground space that can be usually found in traditional architecture of mosques, houses, and schools in ancient Iran which were usually used during summers) in east and west.

The eastern Shabestan has seven columns that are located in the middle of the space and are in a row. The most amazing part of the mosque is the western Shabestan. There are twelve columns which are placed in two rows of six. Seven arches are located between the two pillars, and at the end, there is an attractive tiled altar. The floor of the altar is made of marble and its surface is lower than the floor of the Shabestan. The western Shabestan has seven wooden doors with colored glasses that open to the courtyard.

With dazzling stained glass, thousands of painted tiles on the ceiling and Persian rugs covering the floor, this place of worship is a gorgeous rainbow of color in every direction, like stepping into a kaleidoscope.

There is an open courtyard with a rectangular pool in the center of the mosque, surrounded by flowers. The building’s facade features dozens of Islamic arches, adding to the beauty of the light show from the stained glass.

Despite other mosques, Nasir-ol-molk Mosque has no dome, which indicates that this religious building was quite personal and not used by the public. The tiling of this mosque is unique and the use of pink color is one of the features of the mosque which is not usual in any other Iranian mosques.

In autumn and winter, when the sunlight shines through the colorful glasses, and reflexes it on blue mosaics, make a dazzling view inside this mosque which making this mosque outstandingly aesthetic among other mosques of Iran.

Recently, Nasir-ol-molk Mosque has been lighted at nights as well; the light passes through the colored glasses and spreads into the yard and all over the mosque.

Nasir-ol-molk Mosque is still used for worship. It was registered in Iran’s National Heritage on February 1955 under the registration number of 369.

The best time to visit Nasir-ol-molk Mosque is early in the morning before 9 a.m when the hall and its Persian carpets are illuminated with a kaleidoscope of patterned flecks of light.

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11th Tehran Auction to be held on July 5

reporter 1222 — Sun, 30 Jun 2019 08:17:10 +0000

60 Iranian artists, 54 men and 6 women, with 23 of whom living, will be taking part at the 11th Tehran Auction with 80 classic and modern artworks. The age group ranges from about 100 years of difference.

Artworks going under the hammer this Friday include those by Monir Farmanfarmanian, Mohammad Ehsaei, Hossein Zenderoudi, Parviz Tanavoli, Mansour Ghandriz, Sohrab Sepehri, Mahmoud Farshchian, Aydin Aghdashlou, Sadegh Tabrizi, Kourosh Shishegaran, Abolghasem Saeidi, Masoud Arabshahi, etc.

The collection includes 75 paintings and five sculptures, reflecting the changes in forms and aesthetics of the Iranian art during the last century.

The exhibition will welcome visitors on 3rd and 4th of July from 16:00 to 20:00 at Parsian Azadi Hotel in northern Tehran. The Auction will be held on July 5th at the same venue.

The 10th Tehran Auction was held on January 11, 2019, with 114 contemporary artworks by 105 artists having gone under the hammer, grossing over 344 billion rials (roughly $8 million).

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Iranian theaters to pay tribute to Kiarostami on his birthday

reporter 1222 — Mon, 17 Jun 2019 13:30:44 +0000

On June 22nd, all movie theaters in Iran will show a short film before each screening in commemoration of the late Iranian filmmaker Abbas Kiarostami.

In addition, “Along with Wind”, a documentary by Mehdi Shadizadeh about the life of Kiarostami and his artistic career, will go on screen at the Art and Experience Cinemas on his birthday.

Kiarostami, born June 22 in Tehran, is hailed as one of the most visionary figures in international cinema.

He made his directing and screenwriting debut in 1970 with ‘The Bread and Alley’. He first earned international acclaim and recognition in 1987 with ‘Where is the Friend’s Home?’, the story of a child’s self-imposed journey to find his friend’s house so he can give him a lost notebook full of important homework.

His ‘Taste of Cherry’ (1997) was awarded the Palme d’Or at the Cannes Film Festival that year.

Kiarostami died on 4 July 2016 at age 76 in Paris, while undergoing treatment.

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Culture ministry to back private sector in global markets wholeheartedly

reporter 1222 — Wed, 16 Jan 2019 09:30:16 +0000

The Director General of Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance for Provinces’ Affairs Ali Ghiasi Nedoushan said on Tue. that Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guidance will back private sector in the international markets.

The ministry will follow up supporting private sector in the international markets of artistic and cultural works, he maintained.

To develop artistic and cultural activities, joining relevant international conventions and taking advantage of high potentials and capacities of artistic and cultural activists as well as nongovernmental organization (NGOs) should be taken into serious consideration, he added.

Promoting cultural-geographical interactions, launching Iranology programs abroad are of the other approaches of the ministry, the director general opined.

Strengthening Quranic-based cultural activity, companionship of the Prophet PBUH) and Ahl ul-Bayt in the Islamic world, developing religious tourism (hajj and pilgrimage) qualitatively and quantitatively are of the other macro objectives taken by the ministry.

The director general said that increasing public access to cultural-artistic spaces and products with cultural justice-based approach especially in rural and disadvantaged areas as well as strengthening sales and distribution system of cultural products have been put atop agenda.

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Artists and art collectors get prepared for Tehran Auction 2019

reporter 1222 — Tue, 01 Jan 2019 10:30:28 +0000

114 works by 105 artists will go under the hammer at the 10th Tehran Auction on 11 January 2019, among which is an untitled work by the late Iranian legend Abbas Kiarostami.

The works selected to go under the hammer in this year’s edition of Tehran Auction have been selected from the portfolio of 105 artists, among whom 89 are living and the 16 others have passed away.

The 10th Tehran Auction, like the previous edition, will be held at Parsian Azadi Hotel in northern part of the capital.

The most seasoned artist participating at the auction this year is Monir Shahroudy Farmanfarmaian (born 1922), who is noted as one of the most prominent Iranian artists of the contemporary period and had the Monir Museum open in her honor in Tehran in 2017.

Among the high-priced works are two by Farmanfarmaian, one work priced between 20-30 billion rials (roughly $300,000), and the other to go under the hammer at $30-40 billion rials ($400,000).

Other notable high-priced works are two by artist and graphic designer Koorosh Shishegaran (born 1945), that will go under the hammer at 8bn-12bn rials, and the other at 4-6 billion rials.

As a whole, the works include 75 paintings, 19 calligrams, 14 statues, and six photographs, with their total worth estimated between 250-350 billion rials ($2.5 million to $3.5 million).

An untitled work by late Iranian legend Abbas Kiarostami will also go under the hammer at 2-3 billion rials ($20,000 – $30,000).

Hossein Zenderoudi (born 1937), a celebrated painter, calligrapher and sculptor, known as a pioneer of Iranian modern art, is bringing two high-priced works to the auction, with one estimated value at 30-40 billion rials ($300,000 – $400,000).

Bahman Mohassess (1931- 2010), painter, sculptor, and theater director, is another notable name in the list, whose ‘Birds’ will go under the hammer at 20-30 billion rials ($200,000 – $300,000).

The first of its kind in Iran, Tehran Auction was launched in 2012 as an independent and private initiative to introduce the best of Iranian art ranging from established and emerging Iranian artists to Iranian art collectors and global audience.

The 10th edition of the event will be held from 9th to 11th January 2019 at Parsian Azadi Hotel in Tehran.

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Salinger fans in Tehran to gather for his 100th birthday

reporter 1222 — Sat, 29 Dec 2018 11:46:59 +0000

Fans of American author J. D. Salinger, widely known for his novel ‘The Catcher in the Rye’, are invited to take part in an event at Book City Cultural Center in Tehran on Jan. 1 to celebrate the author’s 100th birthday.

‘One Day with Salinger’ will be held on Tuesday at Book City Cultural Center on Shahid Beheshti St. in Tehran to celebrate the famous American author’s 100th birthday.

The event organizer, Homeira Afshar, told Mehr News correspondent that the Salinger Day in Iran will be held similar to the one organized in the United States by the Little, Brown and Company publishing house.

“The aim of organizing the event is to review Salinger’s works and hold discussions on his style of writing, the simplicity and complexity of it, but of course about his isolation and secretive life, too,” said Afshar. “We will specifically talk in length about ‘The Catcher in the Rye’, but will also discuss his other works, such as ‘Franny and Zooey’ and his short stories.”

According to her, the event includes lectures and multimedia programs, and a number of actors have been invited to give the gathering their rendition of some parts of Salinger’s novels.

‘One Day with Salinger’ will be held at 16:30 to 19:30 on Tuesday concurrent with the author’s 100th birthday on January 1 at Book City Cultural Center on Shahid Beheshti St. in Tehran.

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